Rally-eMag August 2013 / The Inside View
The Inside VieW
By: Anna Louise Rudd
Images: Bas Romeny
Anna Louise is the Press Officer of the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team.
she is the one who knows what’s going on with anyone in the team, from the
drivers to the bosses, to the mechanics and the engineers. In her monthly
column she gives you a peek behind the scenes of a world rally teaM.
What a rally! Rally Finland never fails to impress, but this year was something special. The
first time in over ten years that a Finn has been
absent from the podium, and a very talented
Belgian alongside an equally talented Norwegian in second and third place respectively.
To see Mads [Østberg] regain his confidence by
adding a second podium to his 2013 tally was
very satisfying indeed. And as for Thierry [Neuville], I think he surprised even himself with his
performance on what was only his second time
in Finland. He and Nicolas [Gilsoul, co-driver]
were nothing short of sensational and they thoroughly deserve to be tied for second place in
the drivers’ championship.
Now the championship turns to asphalt and
one of my favourite events of the year – Rallye
Deutschland. Based in the beautiful city ofTrier,
the picturesque surroundings are steeped in
history. The food is amazing, the people are
friendly and the stages aren’t bad either!
20/32
In fact I would single out ‘Arena Panzerplatte’
as one of my favourite stages of the year. Like
‘Ouninpohja’ – albeit far removed in character
– you need to be brave, confident and clever
which really separates the men from the boys.
Speaking of boys turning into men, Germany
could well be Thierry’s best event to date. A podium is well within his grasp and – if everything
falls into place – we could even see him challenge for victory!
Of course podiums and victories are nothing
without all the hard work that the team puts
in behind the
scenes, and you
would be pushed
to find someone who works harder than John
‘Milly’ Millington. As Team Manager, Milly (or
‘Milly Diamond’ as the co-drivers often refer
to him over the team radio) is responsible for
much of what you see in the service area.